(The following story by John Osborne appeared on the Kingsport Times-News website on November 21, 2009.)
ABOARD THE SANTA TRAIN — The throngs of people waiting at 14 stops made Saturday by the Santa Train were larger than crowds for the train in recent years, according to observations by the Jolly Old Elf himself.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said Santa Claus from a balcony on the back of the train, as it neared the end of its 110-mile journey from Shelby, Ky. to downtown Kingsport. “The Lord provided us just one perfect avenue,” Claus said. “Crowds were up everywhere. I’d say by at least 20 to 25 percent. We’ve had a good day.”
The Santa Train, which made its 67th annual trek Saturday, is sponsored by CSX, Food City and the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce.
Workers for each of those three organizations, along with a host of volunteers and special guest Wynonna Judd, distributed more than 15 tons of gifts during the train’s run.
Judd, winner of five Grammy awards and eight CMA awards, recently celebrated 25 years in the music business and will kick off her third annual “A Classic Christmas” next weekend.
Her son and daughter joined her on the Santa Train, and all three helped Santa and the rest of his “elves” at stops throughout the day — Judd usually from the rear of the train with Santa, and her son Elijah and her daughter Grace helping as “ground crew,” leaving the train at stops to take gifts into the crowds.
“The first half of the trip I cried a lot,” said Judd, who grew up in Ashland, Ky. “I saw my mom, with two girls. I saw the single parents. It brought me back to when we lived here, before we made it.”
As the trip progressed, Judd said, her experiences on the train ran the gamut — from the tears, to joy, to humor.
“I’ve kind of gone the emotional roller coaster,” Judd said. “I think I’ve seen it all.”
Judd’s mother, Naomi, was Santa’s special guest on the train a few years ago — and daughter said mother had told her some of what to expect from riding the train.
“She prepped me and said ‘this is going to be one of the hardest things you’ll ever do,’ ” Judd said. “She said it would be very intimate, it would be very overwhelming, like trying to take a drink from a fire hose. And that’s how I have felt all day today. It’s been awesome.”
She hopes to ride the train again next year — and plans to do everything she can in the months in between to raise awareness about the Santa Train, with a specific goal: getting more toys donated to the train.
“We need more toys,” Judd said. “The kids want toys, and I get that. So I’m on a mission.”
Judd said she hopes her mother, and perhaps even her sister Ashley can join her on the Santa Train next year.
“I’m from Appalachia,” Judd said to the crowd in Kingsport after getting off the train. “Raised by a single mother, on welfare. Riding the train today I saw myself and my mother and my sister in the crowd. And I just want you all to know, be thankful — I’m not preaching, I’m just teaching — be thankful for everything you have and for the fact that you have one another. Honestly. Because we have what we need. And today I saw people who didn’t.”
A woman in the crowd yelled out “There is hope.”
“There is always hope,” Judd said. “If you see me, you know there is hope, because if I can do it, anybody can. Don’t you ever give up on your dreams. God Bless America. Merry Christmas.”
Judd was not the only special guest on this year’s Santa Train.
As winners of the first-ever Santa Train essay writing contest, John H. Puckett and Thomas Sargent each rode the train.
A native of Dungannon and graduate of Castlewood High School, Puckett, 70, worked for CSX Transportation for 39 years before his retirement.
His daughter entered the contest with an essay which detailed Puckett’s story of growing up as a poor farmer and desperately wanting to work for Clinchfield Railroad (later CSX). Parts of his duties at CSX were to help load the Santa Train, and for 39 years he did so very happily.
A native of Kingsport, Sargent, 81, has not missed the Santa Train in decades. Sargent worked for Mead Paper Co. (now Domtar Paper Company) for 34 years and would stop and talk to employees helping with the trains.
For 53 consecutive years, Sargent has taken his three children and wife to see Santa pull into Kingsport. Sargent, too, won after his daughter entered an essay in the contest.
Both men said they were surprised by their wins — and both said the experience of riding the train was even more exciting than they ever imagined.
“It’s a lot bigger operation than I thought it was,” Sargent said. “All I’d ever seen was Santa on the back and the gifts being tossed off. It’s very well-organized. Everybody knows what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Puckett said he will cherish the memories from riding the train, notably the way children react when they get a gift.
Sargent said helping toss gifts to the crowd was as much fun for him as it was for the children in the crowd getting the gifts.
Both men were among Santa’s helpers on the back of the train at its stop in Dungannon.
Puckett said he expected his daughter to be there — and when the train rolled in to the stop, a larger banner could be seen in the crowd: “Scott County Loves John Puckett.”
In addition to support from its three primary sponsors, the Santa Train’s 15-plus tons of gifts come from donors — both large and small.
Among the larger donations this year: Kids Wish Network donated more than $130,000 in toys to the Santa Train.
Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized charitable organization dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories and improving the quality of life for children.
Santa only takes new clothes or toys on the train. Gifts and monetary donations, may be sent to: Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, Attn: Santa Train, 151 East Main Street, Kingsport, TN 37660.
All monetary donations go toward the Santa Train Scholarship, which is awarded to a high school senior along the 110-mile Santa Train route between Kingsport and Pikeville, Ky.
The recipient is chosen based on grade point average, extracurricular activities, financial need, work records and an adviser’s recommendation. This is a four-year scholarship worth $5,000. To date, the Kingsport Chamber has given 26 scholarships totaling $130,000.